Week 5 is in the books. After what was an unbelievably perfect and temperate Summer, the past week has been hot, humid and super uncomfortable. I am not complaining at all: I would much rather deal with the humidity now vs. all Summer in Ironman training. But it has made for some pretty tough runs. I lucked out, though, that my hardest runs (speedwork on the track and my long run) were on very comfortable days.
I used this week to search for blog recaps of the Steamtown Marathon. The common theme: the first 7 miles of downhill is great ... as long as you take it easy and don't push too hard, or your quads will be destroyed later in the race. I can do that. I also checked out the course profile and read the turn-by-turn directions. I happily discovered that one of the streets at the end in downtown Scranton is Electric Street. I wish they had named it Electric Avenue. What a missed opportunity. I would have rocked down to it ... and then taken it higher.
As for me, I am feeling really good. I bought new shoes this week. Amy mentioned on our long run last Sunday that she was due for new ones and I did the math and realized I bought mine in late June and put a real heavy load on them since that time. I ended up buying the same pair that I have now - I absolutely love these Sauconys and if I had the extra cash, I would have bought more than one pair!
Anyway ... back to the recap!
Week 5: 5:40:05 hours
Swam: 0 minutes :( [it was thunderstorming the day I wanted to swim]
Biked: 30:02 minutes (don't know mileage; did on trainer)
Ran: 5:10:03 hours (30 miles + additional miles in the pool via deep water run {aka aqua jog})
Workouts:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday:45 minute endurance run 3 mile tempo run
Wednesday: speedwork at the track
Thursday: longer aqua jog
Friday: 35 minute endurance run
Saturday: aqua jog + swim easy bike [thunderstorms]
Sunday: long run: 16 miles (with 5 miles of fast pace)
Monday was Labor Day and I was with the kids, so a rest day was perfectly timed!
Tuesday. UGH. Tuesday was hard. It was literally the hottest, most humid, day of the year. I had a 45 minute easy run scheduled and the only time I could do it was in the mid-afternoon before I picked up the kids from their first day of school. Not ideal. I went to the park near their school, which has a 1 mile track around it, and gave it a shot. It was brutal. I did two loops and felt pretty good, but half way through that third loop I realized it was just too hot. I decided to cut it at 3 miles. I was also running more of a tempo pace than endurance. But when this is the weather, running isn't the smartest choice.
Wednesday's speedwork was fantastic. Speedwork is a necessary evil in marathon training or if you want to get faster. I like to do it at the track, and I really like to do it on Wednesdays because my running club has a group speedwork night (which my coach leads). My workout was different than the group's, but I decided to go that night and just do it earlier than the club, which would give me a chance to see my coach and say hello. This particular workout was: 20 minute endurance + 3x1 mile at 7:30-7:45 pace & 2 minute endurance recovery + 10 minute endurance pace. My three fast miles were really fast: in the 7:20s and I was thrilled that even my recovery intervals were in the 8s. The run felt really good.
Thursday was a longer aqua jog: 9 minutes easy + 1 minute really hard x 5 and 2 minutes easy. I did this in the Y's outdoor 50 meter pool, which was surprisingly fun and went by really fast. The pool is only 4 feet deep but with my belt, I don't touch the bottom. Yay.
Friday was an easy 35 minute endurance run. It was really humid again, so I left the house at 6:10. It's getting lighter later ... but not so late that I need to bust out the headlamp and singlet. Yet. The run felt good despite the humidity.
Saturday was supposed to be an aqua jog with easy swim recovery. Mother Nature had other plans. There were nasty thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening, which is when I had time to work out. So, instead, I biked on my trainer for 30 minutes. I am bummed I didn't get to swim this week.
Sunday I had a 16 mile long run. IT WAS AWESOME. shouting! all caps! ALL CAPS SHOUTING!!!!! Wow. Ok. So, first, it was nice and cool and comfortable and very low humidity. The thunderstorms from the night before really broke the weather. Second, I wore my new but same sneakers! Look how shiny and new!
I always forget how huge a difference new sneakers make. Third, I made a new running playlist and it was epic. And when I say "epic" I mean probably pretty dorky even when these songs were released and in popular rotation. Because I have no shame (and I have to think somewhere out there, someone else likes my kind of music), I will share my new running playlist at the bottom of this post. I named it Pretty Awesome New Songs That Are Awesome. Anyway ... all those things made the run great. It was 10 miles of endurance pace (8:45-9:15) + 5 miles at 8:20 pace + 1 mile at endurance pace. I am thrilled that most of my endurance miles were in the 8:50 range and 4 of my 5 fast miles were around 8:08!! YEAH.
The best part was how sustainable it felt. Yes, it was hard, but I was able to do it and I could have kept on going. I finished the run a bit sweaty but psyched. Even if I don't look psyched in this picture [I don't run with my iPod like that. I just moved it from my fuel belt].
And then I had this waiting for me in the car.
Note: 7-Up is not as good as Sprite. The only reason I bought it was because there is this spot on the Schuylkill River Trail near Conshohocken where there is an old 7-Up truck in the distance and every time I passed it in IMLP training, it made me want a 7-Up. Not so much. I am a Sprite girl all the way.
Have a great week!
See you swoon,
New Playlist! Pretty Awesome New Songs That Are Awesome. Go ahead ... feel free to use it. It will make you run so fast.
Every Woman In the World (Air Supply)
Best Day of My Life (American Authors)
Eternal Flame (The Bangles)
Woman In Love (Barbra Streisand)
If I Had $1,000,000 (Barenaked Ladies)
More Than a Woman (Bee Gees)
Ain't No Rest For the Wicked (Cage the Elephant )
Morning Has Broken (Cat Stevens)
Got to Be Real (Cheryl Lynn)
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is (Chicago)
You're the Inspiration (Chicago)
Higher (Creed)
Karma Chameleon (Culture Club)
She's Gone (Hall & Oates)
Private Eyes (Hall & Oates)
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) (Hall & Oates)
Let's Hear It for the Boy (Deniece Williams)
It's My Turn (Diana Ross)
I'm Coming Out (Diana Ross)
Reflections (Diana Ross)
Let Me Clear My Throat (Live) (DJ Kool)
Heaven Knows (Donna Summer feat. Brooklyn Dreams)
Electric Avenue (Eddy Grant)
My Way (Elvis)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Elvis) (Live version)
Here Comes the Rain Again (Eurythmics)
You Are the Woman (Firefall)
Over My Head (Fleetwood Mac)
Baby, Now That I've Found You (The Foundations)
Let's Hang On (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)
Double Dutch Bus (Frankie Smith)
Midnight Train to Georgia (Gladys Knight)
Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot)
These Eyes (The Guess Who)
Smile a Little Smile for Me (Rose Marie) (The Hit Crew)
Tonight Tonight (Hot Chelle Rae)
On Top of the World (Imagine Dragons)
Never Can Say Goodbye (Jackson 5)
Let's Wait Awhile (Janet Jackson)
Right Time of the Night (Jennifer Warnes)
Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) (Kelly Clarkson)
Freedom Street (Ken Boothe)
This Is It (Kenny Loggins)
Mrs. Robinson (Remastered) (The Lemonheads)
I Dreamed a Dream (Les Misérables Original London Cast)
Long Long Time (Linda Ronstadt)
Dancing On the Ceiling (Lionel Richie)
The Boomin' System (LL Cool J)
Working for the Weekend (Loverboy)
Ho Hey (The Lumineers)
Always Be My Baby (Mariah Carey)
Love Will Find a Way (Pablo Cruise)
Happy (Pharrell Williams)
Timber (feat. Ke$ha) (Pitbull)
Jump (For My Love) (The Pointer Sisters)
Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley)
Forever Young (Rod Stewart)
Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones)
Emotion (Samantha Sang)
Games People Play (The Spinners)
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Starship)
While You See a Chance (Steve Winwood)
Betcha By Golly, Wow (The Stylistics)
Once In a Lifetime (Talking Heads)
Ain't Too Proud to Beg (The Temptations)
Don't Leave Me This Way (Thelma Houston & George Benson)
My Love (Wings & Paul McCartney)
Groovin' (The Young Rascals)
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday:
Wednesday: speedwork at the track
Thursday: longer aqua jog
Friday: 35 minute endurance run
Saturday:
Sunday: long run: 16 miles (with 5 miles of fast pace)
Monday was Labor Day and I was with the kids, so a rest day was perfectly timed!
Tuesday. UGH. Tuesday was hard. It was literally the hottest, most humid, day of the year. I had a 45 minute easy run scheduled and the only time I could do it was in the mid-afternoon before I picked up the kids from their first day of school. Not ideal. I went to the park near their school, which has a 1 mile track around it, and gave it a shot. It was brutal. I did two loops and felt pretty good, but half way through that third loop I realized it was just too hot. I decided to cut it at 3 miles. I was also running more of a tempo pace than endurance. But when this is the weather, running isn't the smartest choice.
Wednesday's speedwork was fantastic. Speedwork is a necessary evil in marathon training or if you want to get faster. I like to do it at the track, and I really like to do it on Wednesdays because my running club has a group speedwork night (which my coach leads). My workout was different than the group's, but I decided to go that night and just do it earlier than the club, which would give me a chance to see my coach and say hello. This particular workout was: 20 minute endurance + 3x1 mile at 7:30-7:45 pace & 2 minute endurance recovery + 10 minute endurance pace. My three fast miles were really fast: in the 7:20s and I was thrilled that even my recovery intervals were in the 8s. The run felt really good.
Thursday was a longer aqua jog: 9 minutes easy + 1 minute really hard x 5 and 2 minutes easy. I did this in the Y's outdoor 50 meter pool, which was surprisingly fun and went by really fast. The pool is only 4 feet deep but with my belt, I don't touch the bottom. Yay.
Friday was an easy 35 minute endurance run. It was really humid again, so I left the house at 6:10. It's getting lighter later ... but not so late that I need to bust out the headlamp and singlet. Yet. The run felt good despite the humidity.
Saturday was supposed to be an aqua jog with easy swim recovery. Mother Nature had other plans. There were nasty thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening, which is when I had time to work out. So, instead, I biked on my trainer for 30 minutes. I am bummed I didn't get to swim this week.
Sunday I had a 16 mile long run. IT WAS AWESOME. shouting! all caps! ALL CAPS SHOUTING!!!!! Wow. Ok. So, first, it was nice and cool and comfortable and very low humidity. The thunderstorms from the night before really broke the weather. Second, I wore my new but same sneakers! Look how shiny and new!
I always forget how huge a difference new sneakers make. Third, I made a new running playlist and it was epic. And when I say "epic" I mean probably pretty dorky even when these songs were released and in popular rotation. Because I have no shame (and I have to think somewhere out there, someone else likes my kind of music), I will share my new running playlist at the bottom of this post. I named it Pretty Awesome New Songs That Are Awesome. Anyway ... all those things made the run great. It was 10 miles of endurance pace (8:45-9:15) + 5 miles at 8:20 pace + 1 mile at endurance pace. I am thrilled that most of my endurance miles were in the 8:50 range and 4 of my 5 fast miles were around 8:08!! YEAH.
The best part was how sustainable it felt. Yes, it was hard, but I was able to do it and I could have kept on going. I finished the run a bit sweaty but psyched. Even if I don't look psyched in this picture [I don't run with my iPod like that. I just moved it from my fuel belt].
And then I had this waiting for me in the car.
Note: 7-Up is not as good as Sprite. The only reason I bought it was because there is this spot on the Schuylkill River Trail near Conshohocken where there is an old 7-Up truck in the distance and every time I passed it in IMLP training, it made me want a 7-Up. Not so much. I am a Sprite girl all the way.
Have a great week!
See you swoon,
New Playlist! Pretty Awesome New Songs That Are Awesome. Go ahead ... feel free to use it. It will make you run so fast.
Every Woman In the World (Air Supply)
Best Day of My Life (American Authors)
Eternal Flame (The Bangles)
Woman In Love (Barbra Streisand)
If I Had $1,000,000 (Barenaked Ladies)
More Than a Woman (Bee Gees)
Ain't No Rest For the Wicked (Cage the Elephant )
Morning Has Broken (Cat Stevens)
Got to Be Real (Cheryl Lynn)
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is (Chicago)
You're the Inspiration (Chicago)
Higher (Creed)
Karma Chameleon (Culture Club)
She's Gone (Hall & Oates)
Private Eyes (Hall & Oates)
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) (Hall & Oates)
Let's Hear It for the Boy (Deniece Williams)
It's My Turn (Diana Ross)
I'm Coming Out (Diana Ross)
Reflections (Diana Ross)
Let Me Clear My Throat (Live) (DJ Kool)
Heaven Knows (Donna Summer feat. Brooklyn Dreams)
Electric Avenue (Eddy Grant)
My Way (Elvis)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Elvis) (Live version)
Here Comes the Rain Again (Eurythmics)
You Are the Woman (Firefall)
Over My Head (Fleetwood Mac)
Baby, Now That I've Found You (The Foundations)
Let's Hang On (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)
Double Dutch Bus (Frankie Smith)
Midnight Train to Georgia (Gladys Knight)
Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot)
These Eyes (The Guess Who)
Smile a Little Smile for Me (Rose Marie) (The Hit Crew)
Tonight Tonight (Hot Chelle Rae)
On Top of the World (Imagine Dragons)
Never Can Say Goodbye (Jackson 5)
Let's Wait Awhile (Janet Jackson)
Right Time of the Night (Jennifer Warnes)
Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) (Kelly Clarkson)
Freedom Street (Ken Boothe)
This Is It (Kenny Loggins)
Mrs. Robinson (Remastered) (The Lemonheads)
I Dreamed a Dream (Les Misérables Original London Cast)
Long Long Time (Linda Ronstadt)
Dancing On the Ceiling (Lionel Richie)
The Boomin' System (LL Cool J)
Working for the Weekend (Loverboy)
Ho Hey (The Lumineers)
Always Be My Baby (Mariah Carey)
Love Will Find a Way (Pablo Cruise)
Happy (Pharrell Williams)
Timber (feat. Ke$ha) (Pitbull)
Jump (For My Love) (The Pointer Sisters)
Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley)
Forever Young (Rod Stewart)
Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones)
Emotion (Samantha Sang)
Games People Play (The Spinners)
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Starship)
While You See a Chance (Steve Winwood)
Betcha By Golly, Wow (The Stylistics)
Once In a Lifetime (Talking Heads)
Ain't Too Proud to Beg (The Temptations)
Don't Leave Me This Way (Thelma Houston & George Benson)
My Love (Wings & Paul McCartney)
Groovin' (The Young Rascals)
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